This invention relates in general to fluid pumps, and in particular to a two-component fluid pump for inflation of a penile prosthesis, wherein one pump component is low pressure and high volume while the other component is high pressure and low volume.
The use of penile prosthetic devices to alleviate problems of impotence is widely recognized. One general type of device comprises a pair of inflatable cylinders which are implanted within the penis and which are in communication with a source of fluid. This fluid is pumped into the cylinders as desired by the user in order to produce a penile erection. In one type of arrangement the fluid itself can be in a reservoir which can be situated inside the abdominal cavity of the user, with the reservoir being in communication with a pump means for delivering the fluid from the reservoir to the prosthetic device. Alternatively, the fluid can be wholly stored within a pump means for introduction into the prosthetic device as desired. A present pump means for either type of arrangement generally is scrotally implanted and is comprised of a single, hollow, flexible component having a ball valve through which the fluid must pass for entry into the cylinders of the prosthesis. Fluid within the component is pumped through the ball valve by repeatedly squeezing the component until a majority of the fluid has left and entered the cylinders. The user can cause the return of the fluid to the component by squeezing the site of the ball valve to thereby displace the ball and allow fluid to flow back into the component. As is apparent, however, the size of the component must be large enough to accommodate the amount of fluid required to satisfy the cylinders of the prosthetic device. This resultant high-volume component necessarily delivers fluid at low pressure and, because of its size, does not permit the user to transfer the full amount of fluid present into the cylinders.
In view of the above, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a two-component prosthesis pump whereby the first component thereof provides for high-volume, low-pressure pumping and the second component thereof provides for subsequent low-volume, high-pressure pumping to thereby increase fluid delivery to the prosthetic device. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a two-component pump wherein the second component thereof is situated within the first component. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a two-component pump whereby the pump can be implanted within the scrotum of the user. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent throughout the description which now follows.